thomas moore hospital in canyon city, colorado. >> laurie looked and up her head went down on her chest. >> reporter: in the lobby of the emergency room she went into full cardiac arrest from a pulmonary embolism. laurie stodgehill, 31 years old, died. and so did her 28-week-along unborn twins. >> i didn't even get to hold them. i have an autopsy picture. that's all i've got. >> reporter: stodgehill sued the hospital and its owner, catholic health initiatives, which operates nearly 80 hospitals in 14 states. he filed the wrongful death suit on behalf of his wife and his unborn twin sons. in court, he was stunned to learn the hospital's defense. how many people does the hospital say you lost that day? >> one. since they weren't born, they weren't people. they did not qualify as a person. >> reporter: that's right. catholic health initiatives has argued that under colorado law, to be a person, one must at some point have been born alive. a glaring contradiction to catholic church teachings which says, life begins at conception. catholic health initiatives would not speak to cnn on camera